Promises
by shayejay28
Summary: Fresh beginnings blossom for the FFXIII gang. They all attend Serah and Snow's wedding and take on the first chapter of their lives in the New World. Relationships are explored and embraced. This is only the start of what lies ahead for them in the future. (Romance, Family, Friendship, and Humor) (Post-LR)
1. Chapter 1

One

Lightning ran a brush down the length of Serah's wavy, rose-colored hair. Serah, seated in front of her sister, stared blankly into the mirror before them.

"What are you thinking about?" Lightning asked as Serah met her sister's eyes in the mirror.

"Nothing really. This is just...surreal. I don't know what to think anymore." She replied, her voice small.

"There's nothing to worry about. You really think I'd let you go through with this if I disapproved of your blockhead fiancé?" Lightning inquired with a smirk on her face.

Serah laughed and cocked her head to the side. "You don't sound very approving."

Lightning's smirk faded and she looked sternly at her sister in the mirror, placing the brush down on the dresser. "You know I trust Snow. Even so, I'll still keep an eye on him. I'm your older sister after all. "Lightning twisted Serah's hair into a bun, leaving two curly strands loose to frame her face.

Serah looked down in attempt to hide the water filling up her eyes. She laughed to conceal her tears. "I'm scared, sis."

"Of what? Snow?"

"No, of course not. I just-" Serah sighed. "I don't want to leave you by yourself. I don't want us to become detached after all we've been through. You don't think that will happen, do you?"

Lightning shook her head and smiled faintly. "Don't worry about me. You know I'm fine on my own. Plus, if you're happy, that's all that matters."

Serah looked at her own reflection and patted her bun. She was surprised how well her sister managed to style her hair. "Wow, thanks Light. Nice job. I shouldn't be surprised though, you used to do all kinds of things with my hair when we were young."

Lightning crossed her arms. A smile twitched at the corner of her lips. "Just don't tell anyone about that, alright? It might ruin my reputation, you know."

Serah laughed, but before she could respond, Vanille popped her head in the doorway.

"How is everything- oh goodness!" Vanille squeaked. She skipped over to Serah and pulled her up from the chair by the hands. "You look gorgeous!" She twirled Serah around like they were dancing at a ball and beamed with excitement.

Serah laughed, "Thanks, you really think so?" Serah looked in the mirror admiring her v-cut, ivory, bridal gown. The cocoon engagement ring pendant rested below her collarbone and complimented the silver shimmer of her dress. She wiped the tears quickly from beneath her eyes. "I'm almost ready. Do you think you can help me with my makeup?" Serah asked Vanille hopefully.

"I would love to. Let's get started, shall we?" Vanille pranced over to the drawer in the dresser and pulled out various tubes of lip-gloss and mascara. Lightning watched as Vanille questioned Serah about which color she preferred and which eye shadow shade looked best. But all she could think about was how much her sister had grown. She was getting married to Snow, and although she anticipated it at one point, it was so long ago that she wasn't sure when it would actually happen.

Vanille glanced over at Lightning. "Hey Lightning, which color lipstick would look best?" She held out two tubes enthusiastically in the air.

"Tch, you're asking the wrong person." Lightning mumbled.

Vanille chuckled. "Well, you better hurry and change, then. You are the Maid of Honor after all, so you better look presentable."

Before Lightning replied, she caught a glimpse of her sister's glistening, hopeful eyes staring back at her.

Lightning sighed and shook her head in agreement. "Alright, I'll go change."


	2. Chapter 2

Two

Snow tightened his tie and gave Noel a smug look. "You really think Lightning will be the first one to get buzzed tonight at the ceremony? How much are you willing to bet on that?"

Noel laughed and scratched the top of his head. "Well, not literally. Who knows? Maybe she'll loosen up for once. You know she has been a lot happier since we got _here_." He held his arms out wide around him referencing to the Earth.

Snow turned to the mirror and continued adjusting his tie. "You have a point there." Snow smiled to the mirror and bumped his fists together. "Any way, today's the big day."

"You nervous?" Noel peered at Snow through squinted eyes. "Was 500 years of moping really not enough time to think on it?" He asked sarcastically.

Snow turned around and lightly punched Noel in the chest. "Hey, that's not fair. I didn't exactly think there would be a wedding in thefirst place, heck, I didn't even think there'd be a bride." Snow turned back to the mirror with a serious expression on his face. "But things are different now. I'm not gonna let her down."

Before Noel could reply, a voice came from the door.

"Knock, Knock." It was Hope, smiling with his arms crossed, leaning against the doorframe.

Snow laughed. "Come on in and join the party. Hey, want to make a bet?" He asked with one eyebrow raised.

Hope closed the door behind him and strode up next to Noel. "I'm listening."

Noel was the one to explain. "I just thought it would be ironic if Lightning was the first to get drunk tonight. I noticed when she got here yesterday that she seemed...happy."

"Wait, so Light is here now?" Hope asked anxiously.

"Of course she is." Noel responded.

Hope looked down at his feet and shook his head, laughing. "I don't know."

"What?" Snow and Noel asked in unison.

"Well, my money's on Sazh." He joked.

Noel laughed. "Alright. Sazh for you, Lightning for me. Snow, what do you say?"

Snow clapped his hand onto Hope's shoulder. Hope tried not to appear too overwhelmed by his massive arm and overpowering strength. Snow gave him a sly grin.

"My money's on Hope. You're not exactly a kid anymore, obviously, since you're over 21. Who knows what you'll do tonight?" Snow remarked.

"You really believe I'm going to get intoxicated tonight? Seriously?" Hope was appalled.

"I'd like to see you prove me wrong."

"You're on."

The three young men erupted in laughter and continued preparing for the big occasion.


	3. Chapter 3

Three

Lightning had just changed into the same crystal blue strapless dress that all the bridesmaids would sport for the wedding. She hastily slipped into her heels and shoved plain diamond studs into her ears.

She felt like the day was rushing. She had just arrived at the Villiers' Manor the night before, unprepared for the wedding that everyone else had already been informed of. It was a surprise. It was also the first time she saw most of the old gang in the new world.

She slipped on a simple diamond necklace to match her earrings. She wasn't one for fashion, but figured that wasn't a problem considering Serah should be the only one in the spotlight tonight. This was her little sister's day, so it was hard for her to care about anything else. Leaving the spare bathroom, she swung the door open and felt a thud against the opposite side. She staggered back then peaked her head around to see what just bumped into the door.

It was Mog. Well, not the Mog that she was used to. Serah found him when they came to the new world at a local pet store. The difference is, he altered into a cat. He even had a tiny purple clock attached to his collar and a nose as red as his old moogle bobble.

He shook his body and scratched his head with his foot, his fur standing up in all directions.

Lightning looked around to see if anyone was near. The coast was clear. She gently grabbed Mog and held him in her arms. It was almost a cute image. He nestled his head into her neck. She blushed trying to hold back a giggle.

"Sorry bout that Mog, did I hit your head?" she scratched him and he purred delightedly. "You ready for the big day?" she asked happily. He sounded like a motorboat. After a short while she placed him on the ground and watched as he spun in circles chasing his own tail. He was still the same old Mog.

"Now _that__'__s_ something you don't see everyday." A familiar voice came from behind Lightning. She whipped around and saw Hope standing in front of Snow's bedroom door with his arms crossed over his gray canvas dress shirt and black tie. She almost didn't recognize him with his mature face, hair, and voice. He beamed with anticipation.

"Well I'll be damned. I barely recognized you." Lightning couldn't help but smile as she paced over to Hope and wrapped her arms around him. He returned the embrace and laughed in surprise.

She reached up and ruffled his hair, which was now above her own head.

Hope patted down his hair and smirked. "It's been a while, Light. Or has it really been all that long since we got here in the first place?"

"I lost track of time, honestly. Just yesterday I found Serah here and heard about the wedding. When did you get here?"

"This morning. Well, I found Serah about a week ago, so I've been helping out with all the preparations and set up. As a matter of fact, Snow chose me as his best man. I couldn't decline, I mean, it was last minute, so why not?"

Lightning replied in a dramatic, exaggerated tone, "So you're really a _man _now, huh? Oh, they grow so fast." She wiped away the imaginary tears from her eyes.

"Ha, very funny. So you're the maid of honor, I assume?"

"Of course I am. I would be a very offended if Serah didn't choose me. "

"I figured. What about the bridesmaids?"

"Vanille and Fang of course."

"Vanille's here?" Hope asked anxiously.

"Obviously." Lightning's eyebrows furrowed. "You haven't seen her yet have you? Since the old world?"

Hope shook his head. "Nope. Things have been kind of busy around here with the wedding. Not to mention, this mansion of a house is easy to get lost in."

Lightning squinted her eyes and crossed her arms. "So, you ask where _Vanille _is, but don't seem to wonder where the others are? Hmm..."

"Watch it, Lightning_. _Don't make me use your real name." Hope tried to sound intimidating but still trembled a bit.

Lightning's mouth quirked up at the corners. "Ok, ok. Calm down, Mr. Estheim." She placed her hand on Hope's back and guided him down the hall. "By the way, if you tell anyone about me and the cat, you'll regret it."


	4. Chapter 4

Four

"Alright, you're all set!" Vanille placed the blush palette onto the dresser and clasped her hands together. "Now for the veil."

"Thank you so much Vanille, you've been a huge help." Serah smiled. She glanced into the mirror to see her eyes looking bolder than ever and her cheeks glowing like a fresh rose.

"It's the least I can do. I'm glad to." Vanille placed the light, laced veil over Serah's bun and smiled at her into the mirror. "Beautiful! Snow is a lucky one."

"Oh Vanille, you're too sweet. I'm sure any man would be lucky to have you as well." Serah smiled with a hint of mischief hidden between her lips.

Vanille opened her mouth as if to say something but abruptly closed it as if she changed her mind.

"Something the matter?" Serah asked as she rose from her chair.

"It's nothing. I just... thought of something." Vanille scratched the back of her head in slight embarrassment.

"You mean, someone?" Serah grinned.

Vanille sighed. "I've missed him a lot. Do you think he'll want to dance with me tonight?"

Serah replied in a singsong tone, "We'll see."

Lightning guided Hope to the back terrace. Night was looming and string lights were dangling from the roof, gazebo, and tent setup. The large concession area was centered with a tall cream-colored cake ornatewith swirling designs. The chairs were half full of people with anticipation of the ceremony soon to begin. Hope scanned the seats for a curly red headed mistress but didn't have any luck.

"I don't see her." He sighed.

"She'll be here eventually. The ceremony is about to start." Lightning reassured Hope.

Hope then began towards Snow, who was anxiously waiting at the end of the aisle under the sparkling gazebo.

"I still can't believe _you_ chose _me_ as your best man." Hope stated as he stood next to Snow.

"I still can't believe _you_ are older than _me_ now." Snow remarked, grinning a crooked smile. Hope just gave him a tired, annoyed look.

"Well get ready, big guy, it's about to begin."

Noel showed up behind the two men. They all subconsciously adjusted their ties and stood up straight.

A ballad began to play, reminiscent of the music that played back on Cocoon. The crowd began to quiet down and turn their heads as a young purple haired girl made her way down the aisle tossing flowers onto the ground. The wind gracefully ruffled her sky blue gown and long, curled hair. Noel was holding back a smile as Hope elbowed him lightly in the side.

Then came the bridesmaids in there matching blue dresses walking with linked arms and holding on to bouquets. Fang and Vanille. They smiled and lightly waved at the crowd as they paced to the soft ballad playing.

Hope stared wide-eyed. Noel mimicked him, nudging him with his elbow. All Hope could notice was Vanille and the light that radiated from her smile and her presence. Suddenly, she caught his gaze and went wide-eyed herself, nervously smiling. Hope mouthed the word "Hi," to her, expression still. Vanille smiled and mouthed "Hi," back. Vanille and Fang positioned themselves by Lightning and turned their heads towards the ivory bride.

At the very end of the aisle was Serah in her delicate, draping gown and veil. Her arm was linked in Sazh's who appeared to have a slight tear in his eye. The traditional "Here comes the bride" chime began to play as they slowly made their way. Snow gaped at his beautiful bride. Serah nervously grinned, holding back tears. Snow gradually smirked as she approached him.

Sazh detached his arm from Serah's and quickly paced over to a spot in the front row next to his son, Dajh.

"Who's reading all the mumbo jumbo and giving them off, anyway?" Hope whispered to Noel.

"Ha-ha, you'll see." Noel replied with a crooked grin. Hope's eyebrows furrowed. Out of nowhere, Noel gracefully strode up behind the podium centered in the gazebo. Hope shrugged to no one in particular. Apparently Noel was the officiant.

"Dearly Beloved..." Noel recited the oaths as Serah stared into Snow's eyes. They seemed relieved and blissful. Noel's voice gradually became a dull hum in her ears the longer she smiled up at Snow. She took hold of his hands. She could already feel the tears of joy stinging at the back of her eyes.

"When did Noel become a priest?" Lightning murmured to Fang.

"Hey, we don't know that. Maybe he's an official of the courthouse?" Fang shrugged.

Noel then gave the cue for Serah and Snow to exchange their vows.

"Serah, I couldn't imagine living a day without you, walking a step without you, or breathing a breath without you. You give me hope and purpose to carry on. You have held all the pieces of me together; without you I would be lost. So please, cherish me, and I will cherish you." Snow grasped Serah's hand tightly and bowed his head down to conceal the glistening of his eyes.

Serah cleared her throat and straightened her posture. "Snow, you are the only person I could give my heart to. You are the positive energy in my life and the reason I keep a smile on my face. You help me believe that everything will be ok, and that we should never give up. Look where it got us today. Sure, you can be a bit reckless," Snow lifted his head and grinned at this. "But that only makes me love you more. Please, stay in my life until the end."

A few subtle whoops and cheers came from the crowd.

Noel clasped his hands together. "Very well, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

Snow carefully flipped the veil away from his bride's face. He wrapped his arms around Serah in an excited embrace and lifted her off the ground. She coiled her arms around his neck and pressed her mouth against his. They twirled around as claps and whistles emanated from the audience. The crowd stood up and applauded the newlyweds. Serah broke the kiss and whispered, "I love you," into her husband's ear.

"I love you too," Snow whispered back.


	5. Chapter 5

Five

"Serah Villiers," Lightning came up to Serah holding two champagne glasses in her hands. "That'll take some getting used to."

Serah wrapped her arms around Lightning and thanked her for her blessings. "Is this for me?" Serah pointed to one of the glasses.

"Why of course, young bride." Lightning gracefully handed her the drink. They clinked glasses. "Cheers to you and your blockhead husband." Lightning winked, and then took a sip from the glass.

"Cheers, to the ever so supportive sister." Serah winked back and took an even bigger sip from her drink, almost spilling it from chuckling.

"Oh, I see how it is." Lightning peered at her sister with a smirk. Snow came up behind Serah and wrapped his arms around her midsection. She turned around in his grasp. "Have a sip, darling." She handed him her champagne.

"With pleasure." He wiggled his eyebrows, guzzled the remains and flung the glass behind him. Lightning sighed and rubbed at her temples. A faint, "OW!" sounded in the distance. Snow's expression went rigid.

"Oops, probably should have thought that one through." Snow winced.

"Tch." Lightning shook her head and stalked off the concession table.

Noel approached Vanille and Fang and greeted them with friendly hugs. "It's been a while guys, how you holding up?"

"Fantastic! Glad we found you guys. This is quite the shindig." Fang exclaimed taking a sip of champagne.

"It's good to have the whole gang back together-", Noel started. He tore his gaze from the two girls and spotted a long, purpled haired figure by the concession table. _Yeul_, he thought.

"I-um-I gotta go. I'll talk to you guys again in a bit!" Noel paced over to the concessions. Fang gave him a smirk as he stalked off.

"Ah, yes, romance is lurking everywhere. And not just between the bride and groom." Fang sighed. She looked at Vanille who seemed to be in a slight daze. Fang shook her head. "Apparently you are one of those people as well."

Vanille snapped out of her reverie. "What? Sorry, I was just...thinking."

"About what?"

"Nothing." Vanille drawled.

"Mhm, sure." Fang crossed her arms. She started scanning the room for a particular individual. "I don't know where he is, but why don't you go look for him?"

"Really? I mean-", Vanille cut herself off and sighed, "Ok, I'll go look for him." She strolled away determined in her footsteps.

Fang smiled into her glass as she watched Vanille disappear into the crowd of people.

"Why the hell would someone throw a champagne glass at your head?" Sazh looked incredulously at the bloody gash on the side of Hope's head.

"Do you have a better explanation? I highly doubt that it's raining champagne glasses. Gah-", Hope held a rag to his temple and shook the glass shards from his hair over the lake. He and Sazh went to the water behind the ceremony to wash Hope's nasty cut. "Ugh, people are already getting drunk and they haven't even cut the cake." Hope winced as he dabbed his head.

Sazh snorted and his body quivered slightly.

"Sazh? Are you-you're laughing!" Hope looked astounded.

Sazh shook his head and let out a high chuckle. "I-I'm sorry. It's just kinda funny." He went into a spout of laughter. "Looks like you're the damsel in distress once again, my friend." Sazh slapped his knee.

Hope rolled his eyes. "You're walking on thin ice old man."

Before Sazh could reply, a high-pitched shriek came from the tree behind the two men. In the dark it was hard to see who it was, but Hope knew it was Vanille by the shape of her silhouette.

"HOPE? Oh my goodness, what happened?" She ran over and took him by the shoulders.

Hope stood still and suddenly forgot about the blood running down his temple. "I-um-this may sound ridiculous, but a champagne glass fell from nowhere and just crashed into my skull."

Vanille took the rag from his hand and lightly dabbed at his head with concern in her eyes. "Seriously, are people really getting drunk this early?"

"That's what I said!" Hope replied. He could see Sazh slowly backing away out of the corner of his eye.

"It's a shame you didn't have an umbrella or something." Vanille attempted. She and Hope stared into each other's eyes for a few seconds. Then they burst into a fit of laughter. Vanille released her grip on Hope and giggled uncontrollably. Hope practically doubled over and had to lean on his knees to catch his breath.

"Maybe we should do something about that gash; don't want it to get infected." Vanille suggested, still smiling.

"Yeah, you're probably right." He replied. They walked around the tent so they wouldn't disrupt the celebration and made their way into the Villiers Manor.

"It's good to hear that you're doing well. I was worried about you." Lightning said to Yeul.

"That's very considerate of you." Yeul beamed up at something towards the crowd. Actually, Lightning noticed, it was someone. It was Noel, of course.

Noel held his hand out to Yeul in a formal gesture. "Care to dance, madam?"

Yeul curtsied and took his hand with delight. "I would love to!" She smiled back at Lightning as a way of saying goodbye and ran off into the night with Noel. Lightning took another sip from her champagne glass and watched as the lights dimmed and the crowd of people swayed like leaves in the wind.

"You look like you could use a dance partner." A tall man with a voluminous fro made his way towards Lightning. It was Sazh. She set her drink down.

"So do you, old man. Hope you know how to waltz." She took his hand and made her way to the dance floor. They swayed swiftly in the sea of people.

"How does it feel knowin' your sister has pretty much made the biggest choice in her life?" Sazh asked.

"Well, it's not easy, I'll tell you that. But I know she made a good decision. I gave her my blessing. Snow's a good guy." They stepped in unison. "Thank you, for giving her away. You really have become a father figure to us. I appreciate it." Lightning said seriously.

"The pleasure is all mine. It's the least I could do. We've been through a lot together." Sazh said. He looked up to the sky at the moon and seemed to be taken aback. "It's strange, you know. Lookin' up there, expecting to see a big hunk of land floating in the sky. Do you ever wonder what life would be like if things hadn't changed so much?"

Lightning looked up into the sky. She saw stars, a moon, and faint traces of clouds. Not one sign of Cocoon. She looked back at Sazh and said, "It doesn't matter. I couldn't imagine life any different than it is now."

A spark of happiness flickered in Sazh's expression as they continued to trot around the dance floor.

Hope winced as Vanille dabbed antiseptic on his temple with a clean cloth. He was seated on the bathroom counter and she stood over him determined to aid his wound. He gazed at her eyes as she tended to him. She held a piece of gauze in place over his cut with medical tape, done with her work.

"It should heal quickly, wasn't too deep of a scratch." Vanille set the rag in the sink and propped herself up onto the counter next to Hope.

"Thanks." He said. He gazed blankly at the tile floor.

"Hope, is something wrong?" She asked.

He snapped out of his trance. "No, I just got lost in thought is all. It's strange. I've been trying to take in this new world all at once. It's kind of overwhelming."

Vanille lightly took his hand and traced her thumb over it. "At least we found each other. This would be a lot harder if we had to go through all this change alone." She gave him a reassuring smile.

He sighed and rested his forehead on hers, their faces only inches apart. Vanille's face flushed.

"I'm glad you're here, Vanille." Hope closed his eyes and took a deep breath, lifting his head from hers. His eyes scanned her face. He hopped off of the counter and held his hand out to Vanille. "We should go back outside. I don't want to miss out on the cake."

Vanille laughed and took his hand. She leaped onto the ground and laced her fingers with his. They swung their arms back and forth as they made their way down the hall to the back terrace.


	6. Chapter 6

Six

"Hey guys, gather round! We're gonna cut the cake!" Serah exclaimed with her hands cupped around her mouth like a megaphone. She took another large gulp from her drink and slammed it back down onto the table. Snow opened his mouth to comment but must have thought better of it. Everyone crowded near the concession stand.

She took the knife and glimpsed at Snow. He gave a nod of approval. She sliced a huge chunk from the bottom and placed it onto a paper plate. She stabbed a fork into the slice and thrust it towards her husband. He did the same, giving his wife an even bigger slice. They clinked forks. "This is to you, my beautiful bride." Snow gave her a wink as they dug into their desert. Before Serah's fork could reach her mouth, something pasty slapped her in the face.

Snow wiggled his frosting covered fingers at Serah and gave her a sly grin. "I love you, babe."

She shook her head and grabbed her own slice of cake. She hurled the wad at Snow's face and it splattered into his hair and all over his tie. "Oh, sweetheart. I love you, too." She grinned evilly.

Lightning, Fang, Noel, and the others erupted into laughter.

Snow ignored this and dramatically gestured to the cake. "So, who wants a slice?"

The whole gang sat themselves at a big circle table covered in a white tablecloth and decorated with silvery flowers in glass vases. It was like old times, being together like this. Snow stared at Hope for a few seconds, brows creased, and then asked him with a mouthful of cake, "What happened to your eye?"

Hope set his fork down and sighed. "Some jackwit pegged me in the head with a champagne glass. It shattered and everything. It's not as bad as it looks though." He rubbed the gauze at his temple.

Snow nearly choked on his cake. He went into a fit of coughing, and Serah began slapping his back lightly, a look of worry on her face. Hope was bewildered.

Lightning started to giggle. "Well, gee, I wonder who that was."

"Jackwit?" Sazh inquired to no one in particular.

Hope didn't seem to hear Sazh. He glowered at Snow. "That was _you_?" His voice cracked. Snow didn't respond; he was still choking on his cake.

"Man, this is some good cake." Noel stated as he scraped at his plate. No one was sure if he was joking or actually unaware of what was going on.

Vanille laughed in disbelief. "And we thought some drunk guy threw the glass."

Snow recovered from his windpipe disturbance and held up a finger in objection. "Hey, now that's not fair. I wasn't drunk."

"I'm not saying you were. We just assumed because people make bad decisions when they're intoxicated." Vanille replied shrewdly.

"Snow doesn't need to be drunk to make bad decisions. He can do that when he's sober." Lightning mused. Several snorts of laughter came from the group.

"Very funny, sis. Just wait til you get plastered by the end of the night…" Snow began. Noel gave him a startled glance and mouthed. "NO."

Lightning shot him a venomous glare. "What was that? You want to elaborate?"

"ENOUGH." Surprisingly, it was Serah who interrupted. "Can we please just get along for tonight, you two?" She drawled. "This is my night, so please just act like adults. One night. THAT'S ALL I ASK."

Cleary at a loss for words, everyone at the table shut their mouths and slowly continued to eat their cake.

Serah started giggling unexpectedly. She snickered to herself and covered her face with her hands.

Fang leaned over to Vanille and whispered, "I think she's going insane."

Serah shook her head as if she had water in her ears. She slurred her words slightly. "I'm sorry, guys, I was just joking. To be honest, I'm a little tipsy." She giggled some more.

Hope face palmed himself. Noel threw his hands up. "Well, there goes my money."

"I think that goes for all three of us. We obviously underestimated my bride's drinking abilities." Snow acknowledged, taking another bite of cake.

Lightning scowled at him. "_What?__"_

Vanille looked at Hope, puzzled. He laughed nervously and acted as if he didn't know what they were talking about. Suddenly Sazh hooted and held a hand out to Fang. "Cough it up!" He looked pleased with himself.

Fang rolled her eyes and reached into her back pocket whipping out a wad of cash and slapping it into Sazh's palm. "OK, grandpa. You just got lucky."

Noel looked shocked. "Apparently we weren't the only ones who made a bet tonight."

Hope smirked. "Funny, my money was on you, Sazh." Vanille shot him a disappointed glare. His smile dissolved rapidly.

"Well mine was on Light." Fang gave Lightning a crooked smile.

"So was mine!" Noel started. Lightning's eyes darted at him like a knife. He sank down in his seat.

"Enough nonsense, guys. Let's dance!" Serah jumped out of her seat and lugged Snow to the dance floor with her.

Noel, clearly in fear of getting beaten up by Lightning, rushed off as if he needed to be somewhere important. Lightning got up and flicked Fang in the back of the head. "Ouch! That hurt!" Fang got up and teased Lightning as they strolled to the dance floor. Sazh followed, and Hope and Vanille were the only ones at the table now.

Hope awkwardly cleared his throat. "And then there were two."

"Don't you want to dance?" Vanille asked excitedly.

"I, um, don't think I'm a very good dancer."

"Oh, come on! It'll be fun!" Vanille grabbed his arms and lifted him from his seat. They trudged over to the swaying crowd.

"It's really simple. Put your hand here," she took his hand and placed it on her waist. He shuddered slightly. "Now take my other hand and hold it above your shoulder just a bit." She positioned her arm on top of his. "Now just take a couple steps at a time. Try to find a good pattern or rhythm," She guided him as they both watched their feet glide over the floor. They both lifted their heads at the same time and bopped noses by mistake.

"Oof, sorry about that." Hope laughed.

"Don't worry about it." Vanille's eyes glistened.

They didn't have to watch their feet after that. They stepped together in graceful circles to the sound of the classical ballroom ballad.

Hope wasn't sure what to say. He hesitated, "You look really cool in that dress. I mean you look nice- you look beautiful." He blushed in embarrassment.

Vanille held back a laugh. "Thank you. You look pretty handsome, yourself."

"Thank you."

"Of course."

They continued gazing at each other as they danced around.

"Can I try something?" Hope asked.

"Sure, I guess?" Vanille responded, confused.

Hope raised her hand, extended his arm and twirled her around, her dress rippling and flowing in the air. She twisted away from him then coiled back into his arms. He held her from behind for a moment before he turned her around in his grasp. He dipped her dramatically. She stared at him, eyes wide.

"I've always wanted to do that." He said, grinning. He lifted her back in place. His hands lingered at the small of her back and towards her hips.

"Can I try something?" Vanille mimicked him, eyes questioning.

He nodded timidly. She ran a gentle hand over his jawline to his un-injured temple and he flushed. He watched her carefully as her arms wrapped around his neck and she pressed her forehead against his.

He closed his eyes and next thing he knew, she was kissing him.

He leaned into her and exhaled as she tangled her fingers in his hair. She deepened the kiss and traced her hands down his neck. They were in their own world, caught up in the heat of the moment. He grasped her waist and she put her hands to his face. She broke the embrace and held on to his cheeks.

"I've always wanted to do that." Vanille whispered, eyes shining. He smiled and pressed his lips against hers once again. Snickers lingered around them and his eyes widened.

He staggered back, hurriedly dropping his arms to his side. Vanille anxiously fixed her dress and cleared her throat.

They both slowly turned to notice numerous people hooting at them and giving them whistles. They both blushed and uncomfortably avoided each other's gazes.

"GET SOME!" An obnoxious voice shouted from behind them. It was Snow, of course.

Vanille winced and scratched at her head. "Maybe we should…"

Hope interjected. "Stop? I understand. I'm sorry, I…"

"No, I mean, just… save it for later. Now's probably not the time." She grimaced.

"OH, yeah, I understand. OK." He awkwardly gave her the ok signal and swayed his arms in attempt to act casual.

She couldn't help but burst into laughter. Hope hid his embarrassed expression with his hands.

She walked up to him and removed his hands from his face and placed them back at her waist. "We can still dance."

He skimmed her face and unthinkingly kissed her cheek. She smirked at him and he quickly apologized. "Sorry, I forgot. Later." He winked.

Vanille rested her head on his chest as they continued to slow dance beneath the glowing lights.


	7. Chapter 7

Seven

Lightning gathered her skirts and stood up on one of the dining chairs. She took her fork and traditionally clinked her glass with it to get the crowd's attention. The noise amongst the people subsided and she cleared her throat.

"Hello everyone. Most of you might know me as Serah's scary older sister, but I'm also the Maid of Honor." Light laughter sounded through the audience. "That being said, I would like to say a couple things about this happy couple we are celebrating this evening." She scanned around for Serah and met her eyes. Serah gave her a hopeful smile that said, _"__Go on.__"_

"My sister and I have been to Hell and back alongside these lovely people over here," She gestured to Hope, Vanille, Fang, Sazh, Dajh, Noel, and Yeul. They all muttered and nodded their heads in agreement. "Even so, we managed to fight our fate, and how else can I say this: we made the impossible possible." Hope, Sazh, Snow, Fang, and Vanille raised their glasses to that. "But I think we can all agree on the fact that Snow was the most optimistic out of all of us. He was the one who was always willing to put his life on the line to protect us, and my sister of course. He may be thick skulled at times, but he also has a… thick heart… I guess." The crowd laughed and Snow gave his sister in-law a wink. "I couldn't see my little sister with any other person. Now my sister has always been selfless and considerate. She never asks for anything in return when she helps others. That being said, my sister, one of the most caring people I know, indeed deserves a man like Snow. And Snow deserves a woman as amazing and beautiful as Serah. So, cheers to the beautiful couple; Serah and Snow." She lifted her glass.

"Serah and Snow!" The crowd echoed. She bowed down as they applauded her. She could tell Serah was crying and attempted to avoid her gaze as she stepped off of the chair.

Regardless, Serah threw her arms around her older sister and sobbed in her shoulder. "I LOVE YOU, CLAIRE."

Lightning's eyes widened and she patted her sister's back to comfort her. "Ok, that's enough, you don't have to say anything." She winced.

Serah sniffed loudly and tears continued to stream down her face. Snow took her by the arm gently and said, "Come on, sweetie, why don't you get some water." _So you can detox your body of alcohol, _he thought to himself.

Lightning gave him a reassuring nod and sat down next to Sazh and the rest of the gang. She set her gaze on Hope. "You should say something Hope. Go make a toast. You're the Best Man after all."

Hope sighed. "I didn't exactly plan a speech…"

"Oh, who cares? Just make it up as you go, that's what I did."

Hope hesitantly rose from his seat and stood atop it.

Noel squinted at Lightning. "Claire, huh?"

"You're one to talk. When did you become a priest?" She dapped her fingers in her champagne and flicked them at Noel. He rubbed his face dry in amusement.

Mimicking Lightning's tap of the glass with his utensil, Hope hushed the mass of people. "Hey everyone. I'd like to make a little toast to my buddy Snow, who actually just asked me to be his best man _this morning_." Laughs came from the crowd. Hope felt a little more confident. "It's crazy, I know. Why would he want to pick someone who basically tried to kill him at one point?" The laughter ceased immediately. Looks of terror surrounded him. Hope laughed nervously as the smile faded from his face.

Snow quickly dragged a chair next to Hope's and stood on top of it with his glass in hand. He was obviously trying to save the awkwardness. "Uh, what he means is that we went through some rocky times back in the day but worked things out. We started off on the wrong foot but today we are practically like family. Why not choose him as the best man?" He clapped his hand onto Hope's shoulder. "This kid right here has one hell of a brain and has outstanding motivation. Without him, I would be a lot more careless than I am. He's managed to keep me out of a lot of trouble, with that good head on his shoulders. So _I _declare this toast to Hope; without him, we would be doomed." He raised his glass up high.

"To Hope!" The crowd repeated. Hope gave Snow a pat on the back. "Thanks Snow, for saving me there." He murmured.

"The pleasure is all mine." He gave him a goofy grin and thumbs up.

Hope looked out over the people and raised his own glass. "I declare this toast to the Hero, Snow."

"To the Hero, Snow!" The crowd clapped and Serah gave a long whistle. Hope and Snow hopped down from their chairs and sat back down with the gang.

"I love all of you guys, you know that?" Serah mused, making sure she made eye contact with everyone at the table.

Lightning patted her sister's hair, eyes gleaming. "We love you too, Serah."


	8. Chapter 8

Eight

The celebration was coming to a close, and the moon hung high in the sky over the Villiers Manor. The lanterns glimmered brightly in the black night and the stars watched over the people as they departed the ceremony. Lightning observed as the faint clouds disappeared from the sky, leaving a shining canvas of constellations and lights. Someone grabbed her from behind and gave her a big bear hug. She whipped around and saw that the groom himself was embracing her.

"Thanks for being an awesome sis in-law. You really made this night special." He ruffled her hair.

She fixed it agitatedly and muttered, "I'm not your sister."

"Awe, come on. You gotta stop saying that. It's official now! We're kinda siblings." He cackled evilly.

"Tch, fine." She sighed.

"But really, thanks for the blessing. Love you, sis."

She mumbled, "Love you too."

"Love you too…?" Snow gave her an expectant gaze.

She squeezed out the words as if it pained her. "…brother. Love you too, BROTHER!"

Snow thrust his fist at the sky and cheered loudly. "WHOOHOO! Guys I did it! I reached Brother status with Lightning!" He hugged Lightning and swung her around, her arms still at her sides.

Serah came running up to them and latched on to the two. "Awe this is great! We can be a big happy family!"

Hope and Vanille were walking together on their way out and turned their heads over to the three goons embracing one another. "Awe look, they're hugging." Vanille exclaimed. "Let's go join them!" Before Hope could protest she yanked his arm and ran over with him to Snow, Lightning and Serah.

Serah turned her head and beamed with joy. "Come on guys, the more the merrier!" Vanille and Hope clutched on to Serah and Snow's back.

Lightning in the center, huffed, "Ok, guys, I love you, but I can't breathe."

Ignoring this, Vanille shouted over to Fang, Sazh, and Dajh. "Come here guys! Join the hug fest!"

Shrugging, they ran over to the hug fest and joined the party.

"Oh, God," Lightning breathed.

"Hey, Noel! Yeul! You guys better get your butts over here too! I'm not letting you guys leave just yet!" Serah shouted.

Noel and Yeul turned around and snickered to each other, jogging up to the crazy group of people. They embraced their friends and all giggled together. Even Mog pranced over and hummed around the happy family.

Lightning exhaled through a constricted breath. "GUYS. ENOUGH."

They all released from their embraces and gave individual hugs, saying their goodbyes and thanks.

"Thanks for being awesome guys. We don't want to keep you too long, so drive safe!" Snow clearly wanted to be alone with his bride.

"Awe, do you all really have to leave?" Serah protested. Snow elbowed her lightly in the side.

They all looked at each other and shook their heads. "We should leave you guys to yourselves." Lightning spoke for the group.

"No, spend the night! Please! Snow and I can Honeymoon tomorrow. Come on! It will be fun!" Serah demanded. Snow shot her an impatient glance.

Vanille spoke up. "I don't know if Snow wants that. Does he?" She eyeballed him.

Snow let out an exasperated breath, a grin twitching at his lips. "Fine. As if I didn't get to see your mugs enough. Spend the night."

Serah gripped onto his arm and jumped up and down. "Yay, thank you Snow! Party time!"

Snow smiled and kissed his bride on the head. "Anything for you. Ms. Villiers. And anything for the family."

"Let's all set up blankets in the living room. There's plenty of space for us all to sleep in there. We should watch a movie and make popcorn!" Serah pranced sloppily towards the house, clearly still a bit tipsy. Lightning followed her.

"I better make sure she doesn't hurt herself when she makes the popcorn." Lightning jogged and stopped short to scoop Mog up in her arms. She carried him over to the house.

Snow began to follow then turned around abruptly, looking at Hope. "Hey, Hope. Sorry about the uh…" He pointed to his head.

"Don't worry about it, big guy." Hope winked.

Snow gave him a grin and ran off behind Lightning.

Noel took Yeul's hand and they walked together to the mansion. "I'll sleep near you tonight if you want." He whispered in her ear. She looked around startled, in fear that someone would hear. Noel laughed and held the door open for her.

Hope made his way and was stopped short when he felt Vanille catch at his arm. "Wait!" She said. She fell into step beside him and hugged his arm. They followed the crowd into the Manor.

Sazh gave Fang an incredulous look and shook his head.

"Now don't think I'm gonna hold your hand or anything, old man." Fang remarked.

Sazh snorted. "I wasn't asking for you to hold my hand, lady, calm down."

Dajh giggled and said, "I'll hold your hand, Daddy!"

Sazh ruffled his son's fro and hoisted him onto his shoulders.

"This has been a very interesting night, huh?" Fang sighed.

Sazh nodded. "Oh, believe me, it's not over."

The two stalked off into the manor and disappeared from the dusk.

That night, the world made a promise to the future.


End file.
